The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-05
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Mrs. SALLY TRuMnO) rhRR.
ON SETTLERS,

'Tis bound hv thousand bands to my heart
Not a tie will break, not u link vii starts
Would YOU know the spelR q mother h'
there,
land sacred thing is that OLD arm chair.
And gentle words that mother would give
TO fin me 10 die and teach me to live!
Sue taught me 70 lisp my earliest prayer
"RcHc, of william Parr Esq, marriage
occurred in 1928; came to this county IN
1890 Mr. Parr helped to defend Ottawa
during the Indian war."-Hst, In Sai'e o.
There Ia seldom q brighter day in January
than last Thursday, which found us AT the
door of the residence of MIR. John T. Parr IN
! Rutland The roads notwithstanding some
patches Of ice lingering here and there; some
deep drifts in the timber; some water occa'
sioually gathering up the lavish sunbeams
and dashing them in our faces.-tn roads
were smooth and good.
Not far from the door where We stood was
portion of the tree still standing, against
which the FIRE was built and the supper
cooked on that autumn day, ffty.siI years
ago, that ended their four weeks journey to
the new home. 1t WAS two years and few
months after their wedding, and sally
was only twenty three Two other coupl 8
we're with them in this picnic" Matthias
rrumbo and Rebeccl Grove, David Shaver
ard Mary Grove. Pretty names, all Of them
But these young people were getting tagged
out and provisions were getting low, and
even the 0ake kettle and spider and coffee
pol hal a chop len and weary look after
havihg been pulled out and loaded in again
50 many nights and mornings on the long
journey.
think, william, now that we have GIT
here, that bake-oyen, wash tub, spinning
wheel and the splint. bottomed chairs might
as well stay out and give Us little more
room in the wagon, since it's not going to
rain and we have got to sleep there nights
for good while yet.
We suspect 1t WAS little crowded, though
their worldly store was not great. Neither
were their necessities great In Licking
county, Ohio, it was too new for the chill
uren of pioneers there to reckon on a large
store of luxuries in starting on, in life The
d.suict school vas not there, and not every
one could afford to pay much or often for
The teaching given in the private school
Tie wife of the second president of the L.
s., Mrs Abigail Adams, never had day in
school; yet taught Mt home she had an in.
structed and disciplined mind. The dsusht'
ers of Jefferson had some education in Paris.
The pioneer of that day could not send his
children to Paris. if he had book at all.
often he had not a candle TO study II by, but
ike ,ulian NJ. Sturteyant, for half "a century
connected with Illinois College at Jackson
Vile, had the evening school alone with the
book, and for light pine knot burning in
the cold Log Cabin Home
There we're chopping aud clearing for the
boys, and milking, carding and spinning for
tue girls; caps TO be made for the baby, and
hats to be braided for the boys, &c, SC.
Well, no matter, there was good deal to do
Just now ia this new settlement. We have
got to select spot for our house; find Il
good spring of water; cnt some grass for the
horses, and to fill bed, thatch shed and
make arrangements to get place to live, so
that we can get out of the wagon as soon as
possible,
These sturdy young folks have come here
to make n living gentle reader, do you know
what that meausH Those hands of theirs,
and the few tools, and that dusty old bag
with seeds, the horses and the cows from
the bosom of this earth, and from this oger.
hanging sky, must bring to them henceforth
their dwelling aud Their bread These must
bring the money and clothing; that shall be
Hospitality offered to others at their ulbla, or
provided for their children: MI that which
they shall do to build roads and bridge
streams and build up institutions rs the
school house, or church, or court house, or
jail; by taxation to maintain in this laud a
government with army and navy. They are
10 be creators Of all the good in which they
hope to share TO make their living ia God :
name; decently ami above board; that is
their Crrani here, an the work is now be-
gun. No man could have fortold the rough
winter before them, and no man since has
seen SHOWS so deep. They must needs have
fodder, straw &c, from Green's, at Dayton.
rho Shnvers, with four yoke Of oxen, started
II the morning to so there; they got back ut
nine at night, having made but a mile and
f., half. After that winter, deer turkies,
chicken and quail were long time scarce
solves could live, tut not much besides
Ia. second summer they got in some "sod
orn' which did not ripen well and made